Drinking plain water isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Powdered flavors like Crystal Light and True Lemon revolutionized drinking water.
Choosing between each brand may rest on several factors. You may prioritize flavor, sugar content, or caloric intake. Whichever is the case, Crystal Light and True Lemon tend to differ.
For instance, the latter markets its products as a healthy low-preservative option. Meanwhile, Crystal Light appeals to those who enjoy a variety of fresh flavor combinations.
Stick around to learn more about True Lemon vs. Crystal Light. By the end of the article, you’ll know which option works best for you.
Table of Contents
True Lemon vs. Crystal Light: Overview
True Lemon and Crystal Light products vary based on caffeine content, sweetener ingredients, and calories. The prior holds more caffeine but fewer calories. Meanwhile, Crystal Light uses artificial sweeteners to infuse more sweetness.
Similarities-wise, both beverages host a wide variety of fresh fruity flavors. Plus, they have the same intended use, flavoring water to improve its taste and drink more.
| Image | Product | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | True Lemon |
| Price |
 | Crystal Light |
| Price |
About True Lemon
True Lemon is a powder flavor you can add to your water, tea, or recipes. It’s versatile and offers several flavors, such as blueberries and strawberries. The company boasts using natural flavors from crystalized lemons.
About Crystal Light
Crystal Light markets a product intended to inject flavor into plain water. It comes in powder form and multiple artificial flavors, such as grapes, lemons, and peaches. The company offers several lines, like caffeinated options or Crystal Light Pure, which contains no preservatives.
True Lemon vs. Crystal Light: Key Differences
True Lemon and Crystal Light offer the same product, flavored powders. Nevertheless, the competitors differ based on some aspects, such as caffeine content and ingredient origins. Read on to learn more about the difference between each product.
Caffeine Content
Caffeine content is critical when deciding which product to choose. The compound secretes stress hormones known as cortisol. While cortisol enhances your focus, it can also decrease your blood sugar levels, triggering your carbs cravings.
Nevertheless, caffeine also boosts the fat-burning process in your body. Overall, you’ll want to be mindful of the amount of caffeine you consume while reading the label.
Crystal Light
Crystal Light has a line dedicated to caffeine-infused packets. The Energy line incorporates over 40 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces of serving. To put things in perspective, that’s a little less than a cup of coffee, which contains an average of 50 to 80 mg of caffeine.
The beverage company also has a tea line that infuses over 10 to 15 mg of caffeine for every 8 ounces of product. Meanwhile, its Metabolism Plus line offers 25 mg of caffeine. The latter usually comes in the Peach Mango Green Tea flavor.
Related: How Much Caffeine Is In Crystal Light Wild Strawberry?
True Lemon
Compared to Crystal Light, True Lemon drinks have more caffeine content. Not all of the powdered beverage products contain caffeine. True Lemon’s Energy line contains 60 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces.
The product line comprises flavor options like Wild Blackberry Pomegranate and Wild Cherry Cranberry. Besides the Energy beverages, True Lemon’s Ice Tea drinks have over 20 mg of caffeine. The brand primarily has two flavors, lemon, and peach tea.
Sweetener Content
Before purchasing either product, you may wonder, “What makes these products sweet?” Some may opt for artificial tastes, while others go the natural route. The question matters because it gives you more insight into the drinks’ quality.
Artificial sweeteners may do more harm than good to your health. When consumed frequently, your tastebuds will likely crave equally sweet foods. Consequently, healthy sweet options like fruits may become unpalatable, reducing your essential vitamin intake.
Crystal Light
Crystal Light beverages contain aspartame, a notoriously used artificial sweetener. The widely-used ingredient is much sweeter than sugar. For this reason, manufacturers add less of the compound to achieve the same sugary results.
Fortunately, Crystal Light launched a Pure line that doesn’t infuse the artificial sweetener. Instead, it uses Truvia, which comes naturally from Stevia leaves.
According to research, the Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) of stevia powder accounts for 1.8 mg per pound of body weight. Consequently, a 150-lb person can safely consume over 270 mg of sugar derived from stevia daily.
True Lemon
Unlike Crystal Light, True Lemon doesn’t use aspartame or other artificial sweeteners in its powdered drinks. In turn, it’s the healthier choice. The company uses natural cane sugar in its Kids’ line.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t bulk its flavors with the ingredient. Each serving usually contains around two grams of added sugars, which account for 4% of the drink. Aside from cane sugar, True Lemon also incorporates stevia leaf extract to add sweetness.
True Lemon’s Energy line has added sugars derived from stevia leaf extract. Meanwhile, its other best-selling drinks, like its original True Orange beverage, don’t have added sugar.
Manufacturers purely derive the sweet flavors from natural ingredients. Each packet contains about one wedge of the fruit.
Aside from that, True Lemon has dealt with a class action lawsuit depicting false labeling practice. The proposed action accused the brand of using the artificial flavor, dl-malic acid.
Must Read: Crystal Light vs. Gatorade
Calories
Powdered flavors are rarely high-calorie. In most cases, marketers brand these products as zero-calorie or low-calorie. That said, Crystal Light and True Lemon differ slightly in caloric intake.
Crystal Light
Crystal Light products accumulate around ten calories per serving size. Other lines contain a lesser five calories per serving.
These primarily include the Crystal Light Tea options.
True Lemon
True Lemon beverages have fewer calories than Crystal Light ones. Most of the prior’s lines have zero calories. The Kids’ and Tea line contain about ten calories per serving size.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t necessarily make them healthier. The nutrition content is what matters most in this case. If you follow a diet based on calorie restrictions, you may lose out on essential vitamins and minerals.
For this reason, True Lemon trumps Crystal Light. The latter contains little to no nutritional benefits and relies solely on a low-calorie solution.
On the other hand, True Lemon infuses vitamins A, C, and E in its products, like the Kids’ line. Additionally, the company uses a more natural process to extract its ingredient list.
Similarities
Flavors
Fresh fruity drinks will likely pop up when you think of quenching your thirst. Whether it’s a berry blast or a tropical breeze drink, flavors like these are what companies like Crystal Light and True Lemon use.
Both companies use fresh flavors from fruits like:
- Watermelon
- Lemon
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Orange
- Pomegranate
- Cherry
- Blackberry
- Pineapple
- Lime
- Mango
- Peach
The beverages also add tea flavors such as peach and lemon iced tea. Crystal Light offers more tea flavors, like Pomegranate Green Tea or Raspberry Tea.
Usage
People infuse flavor-powdered drinks to enhance water flavor. Crystal Light and True Lemon are both marketed for this particular use.
By improving water flavor, users are more inclined to drink water. The more water they drink, the less hungry they feel. Subsequently, they feel fuller and eat less, reducing their weight.
Also Check: Best 3 Crystal Light Alternatives on The Market
What is Better About Crystal Light?
Crystal Light offers more variety in terms of flavor combinations. Although it has similar options to True Lemon, the brand sells mixes that may appeal to a larger crowd.
Crystal Light has less caffeine than True Lemon, making it less risky when combating stress and jitteriness.
Pros
- Contains less caffeine
- Offers more flavor mixes
- Low in calories
Cons
- Incorporates artificial sweeteners
What is Better About True Lemon?
True Lemon holds more benefits than Crystal Light. The beverages contain no artificial sweeteners and are less in caloric intake. On top of that, the brand has a Kids’ line that holds natural sugars in minimal quantities.
Pros
- Uses naturally-derived ingredients
- Low in calories
- Provides a line dedicated to kids
Cons
- Higher caffeine levels
Who Should Drink Crystal Light?
For those who value flavor more than health benefit, Crystal Light is an ideal choice. The beverage offers diverse mixes that’ll never bore you. Plus, the drinks are relatively less caffeinated so you won’t have to be as cautious when drinking them around night time.
Overall, Crystal Light offers a low-calorie flavor boost to your plain water. Now, if you struggle with the rare genetic disorder known as phenylketonuria, then you may want to reconsider Crystal Light.
The beverage uses aspartame which is an unsafe ingredient and contains phenylalanine. Large doses of the compound can lead to neurological damage to those with phenylketonuria.
Recommended: Can you bring Crystal Light packets on a plane?
Who Should Drink True Lemon?
True Lemon is well-suited to those looking for a natural sweetener and flavor to add to their water. Some of the products, such as those offered for children, have added vitamins. In turn, if you’re searching for a healthy beverage for your kids, you can opt for True Lemon.
In addition, the brand is perfect for those looking to avoid artificial sweeteners. If you also enjoy caffeinated drinks, True Lemon is an ideal choice.